UNKAA DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI AWARDS The 41st Annual University of Nebraska at Kearney Alumni Association Distinguished Alumni Awards recognize alumni for their outstanding professional, civic, cultural or charitable accomplishments. The recipients will be celebrated during UNK homecoming weekend festivities. Distinguished Alumni Awards Meghan Barp (1999) Meghan Barp is from Greenville, South Carolina, and is the president and CEO of the United Way of Greenville County. She has served nonprofits for nearly 20 years in New York City, Minneapolis and Greenville and has served as a speaker and presenter for a variety of conferences and events. Meghan was named to the Top 40 Under 40: Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal in 2014.
Larry Feather (1966) Larry Feather resides in Grand Junction, Colorado, and is retired after a long career in the petroleum industry. Following graduation, Larry taught for two years in Denver before going to work for a petroleum company. In 1976, Larry started Feather Petroleum, doing business as Stop ’n Save convenience stores. The business had grown to 19 locations at the time of his retirement in 2004. Larry is an active volunteer for many organizations in the Grand Junction area.
Kirk Hartman (1986) Kirk Hartman, from Lincoln, Nebraska, is the assistant athletic director for HuskerVision at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. Kirk started his career in broadcasting before joining the HuskerVision staff in 1994 as a video board director and graphic designer. Kirk now oversees the creative process for video programing in multiple athletic facilities, as well as produces and directs big-screen productions and events and coaches’ television shows.
Dave Thorell (1971) Dave Thorell is a lifelong resident of Loomis, Nebraska, and spent his entire career in broadcasting. Dave started at KUVR in Holdrege before spending the next 42 years at KRVN in Lexington, where he was a program director and on-air announcer. Dave is now retired from broadcasting but continues to do public speaking events for churches and organizations in Nebraska and surrounding states. Dave is a member of the Nebraska Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame.
Jim Rundstrom Distinguished Service Award Jeff Blackmon (1978) Jeff resides in Olathe, Kansas, and started in the information technology industry immediately following graduation. He currently owns Strategic Continuity Solutions LLC. Jeff has been a longtime volunteer for the UNK Alumni Association, assisting with the leadership of the UNK Southern California Alumni organization and scholarship program, coordinating Kansas City alumni events and serving on the association’s board of directors. He has also served on UNK’s Computer Science and Information Technology Advisory Council.
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